Tag Archives: homeschooling

Help for home-schoolers! Useful tips that will see you through.

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Was mathematics always this difficult? Why does science suddenly seem so difficult? And why is the way they do things nowadays so different? Just some of the questions most parents find themselves asking a few times each day whilst home-schooling. It’s safe to say that home-schooling isn’t for the faint-hearted and we certainly have more respect and admiration for teachers than we did before we became emergency educators. 

Trying to get your children to complete any school work at home is difficult, and that’s before you manage to get your own head around ‘why Timmy has 3 apples and Sarah has 6’ …None of us signed up to this physically and mentally draining task, and if you have more than one child to educate at home as well as a full-time job to juggle, you may be wondering when this nightmare will end.

In the meantime, I’ve gathered some helpful tips for home-schoolers that will see everyone through …at least until the weekend! Read on to find out more.

Stock up on supplies

Having the right resources at home will not only make your life easier but also help to enhance your child’s learning and understanding. Start by stocking up on paper and printer inks, you’ll find the best Epson cartridges here, all at competitive prices. Being able to print work and activities that have been sent over by the kids’ teacher means they can work independently and away from a screen. You can also print fun activities for when they need some downtime.

Plenty of pens, notebooks and stationery are a must, along with other learning resources such as counters, flashcards, books and even mini whiteboard markers. Whatever you think will enhance your child’s learning should be something to consider. 

Get outside!

Kids don’t just learn in the classroom. Spending time outdoors exposes them to all kinds of learning opportunities. From nature and habitats to the weather and the seasons. Forests and oceans to mammals and birds – get them caring for the world we live in. Taking some of your lessons outdoors – even for something as simple as a nature trail – can enhance their learning and make this period much more immersive. It also means you all get to enjoy some fresh air and time outdoors.

Organise in advance

Seeing what their teacher has set for the day in the morning, isn’t ideal. To help your children get the most out of their learning experience, planning ahead and keeping yourself organised is the best approach. That means having the right equipment set out and ready for the next day, the lessons and activities planned, packed lunches arranged, and the right mindset in place. Having all this sorted in advance will make your home-schooling schedule much easier to cope with.

Accept that every day won’t be idyllic

Regrettably, even if you plan your day down to the last detail, things will go awry. Sometimes our kids just aren’t motivated to learn, and in this confusing and difficult time, we shouldn’t expect too much from them. Dedicating a few hours each day to their curriculum and other time for activities they enjoy such as reading, arts or even music, is more than enough. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. 

 

Collaborative post with our partner.

 

How to Keep Your Child Motivated to Learn at Home

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homeschooling, home learning, lockdown, lockdown three, lockdown 3, remote learning, schooling, education, coronavirus, covid 19, After parents stepped into the shoes of a teacher in the first lockdown, there was a sigh of relief as children were finally welcomed back through the school gates in June.

But, as the virus has rapidly spread over the Christmas period, millions of primary school children will not return to education until after the February half-term, meaning it’s time for parents to re-tackle home learning once again. 

The Office for National Statistics found that the majority of British children struggled to learn from home during the first lockdown, with three-quarters of parents giving a lack of motivation as the reason why. So how can we keep our children focused this second time around? 

The team over at Essential Living have worked with Counsellor Kerry Quigley on this handy guide for parents to help keep your children motivated whilst learning from home. Kerry Quigley has been a counsellor for over 17 years, here she offers tips on keeping children mentally engaged and helping them to learn under difficult circumstances. 

 

Start and stick to a routine

 

A routine is extremely important, as not only does it give structure to your day but is also mentally beneficial. A recent study found that children feel safer and more secure when their lives have a predictable routine. 

 

Having a routine can also have a positive impact on mental wellbeing, no matter what your age (cause we’re still talking about kids here right).

 

Counsellor Kerry Quigley, who is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy said: “Children learn better in a structured routine. Where possible maintain a consistent sleep pattern, meal times and regular breaks. This will help to support your child’s concentration and energy levels.”

Your routine should be similar to a normal school day, including going outdoors, different types of skills learning and regular breaks. Here is an example you can follow: 

Or if your child’s school uploads tasks for them to complete every day, ensure they know what they have to do and that they have the equipment to complete them.

Create a rewards-based system

 

A rewards system is a great motivational tool used by teachers to encourage children to do something they may not enjoy by rewarding them for hard work and good behaviour.

 

 

Not only does it motivate but also helps improve behaviour. By deducting points for bad behaviour, this is a good alternative to another form of punishment like being sent to the naughty step. All this does is interrupts your routine and distracts workflow.

 

Counsellor Quigley believes, “It is important to remember to praise and reward their achievements. This will build upon your child’s self-esteem and encourage independence.” 

 

Unsure where to start? Here is a tutorial example with parental tips for creating a rewards system for your child: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQqGUCguWyY&feature=emb_logo 

 

Young children can benefit from sticker charts and it’s a good idea to get them involved with creating and keeping the chart up to date. Allow your child to decorate a piece of paper themselves to use as their own personal rewards chart. Let them choose different coloured stickers and give them a target to achieve per day. Giving daily targets will help increase a sense of self-confidence and motivate them to reach their goal. 

For older children, try offering other types of incentives such as an extra hour of television or a small gift for their efforts.

Introduce cooking

 

Younger children love to help out around the home, and take pride in seeing something they have helped to create. So, take pride in seeing something they have helped to create. 

 

Often we focus on one learning area like maths or science, but we forget that we can choose activities that incorporate several learning concepts.

 

Choose a recipe every day including different ingredients like flour or eggs. Use scales and ask them to weigh out different measurements. This will help them to understand concepts such as weights and fractions.

 

Through cooking, you can also teach a number of other skills such as:

  • Hygiene skills issues such as the importance of washing hands 
  • Reading labels for nutritional information
  • The importance of a balanced diet and the different food groups
  • Basic safety skills such as preventing burns from hot pans and the stove
  • and making sure food is not spoiled or contaminated by reading the labels

 

Counsellor Quigley believes: “Whilst it is important to give clear instructions and expectations, this will help motivate your child and build upon your child’s self-esteem and encourage independence.”

 

Here are some Lockdown friendly recipes for kids to help you get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kydl6dQIBk&feature=emb_logo

Encourage your children to stay connected to the outside world

Your child mustn’t become too disconnected from the outside world. During the first lockdown, parents became increasingly concerned that not attending school or social events would hold back their child’s development at such an early age. If your child is still struggling to adjust to this new, isolated environment reassure them that it is temporary. 

 

To help provide normality, allow them to interact online with peers. Try scheduling regular calls with a school teacher or a member of the family to discuss the progress of learning and other activities during their day. Knowing they will be speaking with someone on the outside world can give them that boost they might have needed. 

 

Counsellor Quigley said: “By empathising with your child’s feelings this will help them to feel heard and understood, and also support a positive relationship between you and your child.”

 

For any more advice or guidance from Counsellor Quigley, you can contact her through the Glister Counselling website: https://glister.uk.com/contact-us/

 

Thanks to Essential Living: https://www.essentialliving.co.uk/

 

Has Your Child Regressed Academically? Try The LeapFrog LeapStart

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As millions of children return to full time education this month, a new poll of parents suggests the extent to which the nation’s children have regressed academically, following months of being at home.

leapfrog leapstart

Despite the best efforts of hard pushed parents to homeschool, 45 percent said their child had lost out on their overall education, with 44 percent saying they found it hard to keep their child concentrating on school work in the home environment.

In fact, 45 percent say their child’s handwriting has deteriorated and a further 44 percent claiming their child’s spelling had got worse, according to the findings.

I was excited to review the Leapfrog LeapStart.  I am always looking for ways to educate my children and help them learn. I find teaching children is about sparking their imagination. They get bored easily and you always have to come up with new ways and angles to keep them learning. 

The Leapfrog LeapStart is a brilliant interactive learning system.  There are different books you can buy to put in the LeapStart and help your child learn. The books click in easily and the system is easy to use. It supports your child from preschool to primary school. The stylus is perfectly designed for children to grip. 

The system comes with a preschool sampler book but there are plenty more books to buy. There are over fifty key school and life skills it teaches your child. From maths, music, and reading. The LeapStart really engages your child. This is a innovative system and I cannot recommend it enough. 

According to the survey, of 1,000 parents with children between the ages of two and seven, commissioned by educational toy brand LeapFrog, as many as 49 percent fear their child’s social skills have suffered following six months without nursery or school.

A further 39 percent said they had not managed to get their children to regularly read, with 34 percent claiming their child had lost all interest in reading since schools shut – and 33 percent admitting their child had barely picked up a book this year.

 

In fact other important skills have suffered too, as 40 percent of parents said their child’s maths had deteriorated, causing them concerns about how they will understand basic number work this term.

 

Overall, 41 percent of parents have major concerns that their child is currently academically behind where they need to be during this term.

 

Worryingly, more than one in ten (12 percent) said their child had completely lost interest in learning.  And following almost six months without attending nursery and school, it’s no surprise that both parents and children are struggling to maintain focus and find new ways of engaging in the curriculum.

For parents who are concerned their children may be behind in their development, there are plenty of resources available, including the LeapFrog LeapStart, an interactive learning system for children from  2-7 years.

The interactive LeapStart is recommended by 97% of teachers[1][1] and can help provide learning for children at home. With over 30 activity books available, children can learn a variety of subjects including maths, science, reading and writing, making learning at home both educational and fun.

 

Mike Lynch, Senior Brand Manager at LeapFrog, who commissioned the survey commented: “It is unsurprising to see that our research indicates the majority of parents surveyed feel their children may have regressed academically during the closure of nurseries, pre-schools and primary schools this year. Despite parents’ best efforts, home schooling can be challenging.

 

At LeapFrog, we are passionate about supporting children’s learning and development in the early years. Our LeapStart interactive learning system engages children through colourful, imaginative activity books, complete with a magic stylus that triggers audio. Designed to build key skills such as counting, problem solving, reading and writing, the LeapStart is an essential home learning tool.”

Research by leading educational toy brand, LeapFrog, has revealed that six in ten parents believe their child has regressed academically this year due to schools closing because of COVID-19.

Recommended by 97% of teachers, the interactive LeapStart is great way to combat this, boosting learning through play at home, while supporting the national curriculum in the early years. With over 30 activity books available, children can choose from a variety of subjects, including science, reading, writing, problem solving and more. Add to this little ones’ favourite characters, including Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol’s Chase, learning at home has never been such fun!

Annabelle Boto, KS1 and KS2 teacher, commented: 

“The LeapStart is a fantastic way to spark curiosity and love of learning in children throughout the primary age phase. The technology is simple yet stimulating, capturing children’s attention, and then allowing them to use their intuition to access a plethora of entertaining and educational resources. The stylus is useful for the development of fine motor skills, and is an excellent tool allowing the child to navigate through the books.  

Each book provides a different experience, LeapStart is successful in finding the correct balance between entertaining the children, and educating them. Several options of tasks means there is something on offer for everyone. The activities help children to work on their problem solving abilities, as well as building their confidence in an educational situation, and increasing their ability to concentrate on the task in hand.  

The books largely reflect the KS1 curriculum, therefore providing an excellent way for children to prepare and consolidate what they are learning in school. Early years children love the LeapStart, it provides a fantastic opportunity for children to familiarise themselves with problems over all different subjects, inspiring them to give things a go and recognise how fun and exciting learning can be.”  

 

The LeapFrog LeapStart is available here.

Childcare during the pandemic has damaged my career prospects say 57% of mothers

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traveling in london while pregnant, traveling in london with pram, traveling in London with baby, with child, London, tube, step free access, babyonboardbadgetravelinginpregnantwhenpregnantAlmost 50% of working mothers feel forced to send their children back to school or childcare to save their job

 

New research from charity and campaign group, Pregnant Then Screwed, which has spoken to 3,686 pregnant women and mothers to understand what the impact of Covid-19 is having on their careers so far, found that  57% of employed mothers believe that their increased childcare responsibilities during the pandemic has impacted their career prospects or will harm them in the future. Techniques like the kidspiration in gorton adopted in reputed nurseries can help children be more creative and learn more at a tender age.

 

After 11 weeks in lockdown as nurseries and childcare facilities have begun to open up, almost half of all working mums (48.6%) have admitted they feel forced to send their children back.

 

Joeli Brearley, Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed explains, ‘We know from the London School of Economics that women are more likely to deal with homeschooling, childcare and chores around the house than men. What’s terrifying is the volume of mothers that we have spoken to who after just 12 weeks already feel that this will negatively impact their career.’

 

This research has also found that a huge majority (78%) of working mothers have found it challenging to manage childcare and their paid work during lockdown, and a quarter (25%) of these mothers explained that their work hasn’t been flexible to allow for them to complete their paid work and manage childcare duties.

 

Joeli Brearley explains, ‘It’s utterly disgraceful that employers haven’t recognised that working from home with children has been a case of absolute survival. Women are more likely than men to lose their jobs in the impending recession* and yet for a quarter of working mothers their employer has refused to give them the flexibility they need. This has resulted in women being pushed into unpaid leave, sick pay or furloughed as a direct result of having children. It’s no wonder working mothers aren’t thinking positively about their future careers.’

 

The survey also spoke to pregnant women, and found that 7.7% are expecting to be made redundant, of these women 20% believe their pregnancy is a factor. Not all pregnant women are able to adhere to social distancing measures, with 5% still going to work, rising to 6.4% for BAME pregnant women, in environments that are unsafe. 15% of pregnant women working in the NHS are still having face to face contact with patients who could have Covid-19, and 8.1% of pregnant women have been suspended from work on incorrect terms including sick pay, no pay, enforced annual leave or put on maternity leave early.

 

Joeli Brearley, Founder Pregnant Then Screwed, comments, ‘If you are being treated differently in the workplace than other women or men because you are pregnant this is discrimination and it is illegal. If your work has not completed a health and safety risk assessment to prove that you are safe at work, and will not come within 2m of other people, this is illegal. Pregnant women are in the vulnerable category, they must be protected, not penalised, and not put in harm’s way.’

 

The future could however be brighter where flexible working is concerned, as 58% of working mothers think that homeworking will be possible once normality resumes, this is an increase of 14.4% from pre-Feb 2020.

 

www.pregnantthenscrewed.com